


History, Old & New

by ilovecharles



Series: Just Friends [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mini, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 03:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19804180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovecharles/pseuds/ilovecharles
Summary: A mini-fic request from @cupcakecontour on tumblr. This will be part of a series on here, each chapter with a different ending on who wins you over.





	History, Old & New

His eyes followed your every move as you worked. Each bounce of your feathery hair, the rhythm of your delicate fingers, the swaying of your rounded hips with each step you took towards him. His heart pounded a panicked beat from beneath his prickled skin as you approached, bowl of hot stew perched across your palm, a freshly brewed coffee mug in the other.

He smiled sincerely as you placed the bowl on his lap, returning the genuine smile before sauntering off to serve the others as they completed their mundane chores - always thinking about others: a trait that he had always admired deeply about you, among a catalogue of many others.

Throughout all of this, he simply couldn’t remove his gaze from you as you chopped away at more vegetables; the sharp knife inching uncomfortably close to your delicate skin with each slam down against the wood of the chopping board. The anxiety was unbearable, and he silently prayed your beautiful frail fingers would remain intact before he mentally scolded himself for being so protective over a grown woman, but also for the feelings he had tried, and failed, to suppress.

After all, for the past few months, being so protective towards you became his nature - part of his makeup - and two other men at camp gave him good reason for it. With that thought his eyes sharpened into cautious slits, like the eyes of a sly snake about to catch its scurrying prey, and he drifted his gaze to the men in question. Each had their eyes planted on you, and he followed their line of sight to the curves of your body as his blood began to boil. Unlike him, other men rarely saw you for anything other than your looks. Your empathetic generosity, strong-will, many talents, beauty and charm - he took note of all of them, favouring each moment he caught a glimpse.

His mind wandered briefly as the stew on his lap cooled below him. He secretly liked to pretend you didn’t share a tent because you were close friends, or because you often hunted together and got back to camp late - you shared it because you were meant to be together in one way or another. The possibility that it could lead somewhere so beautiful gave him hope; if only briefly. Whether you even felt the same way back was still unknown. What if he confesses and it pushes you away? Into the arms of one of the others? Was it worth the risk of your friendship? Maybe you’d feel betrayed, like this whole time his aim was to get you in bed with him? No, it wasn’t worth it.

 _“Friend. Not lover.”_ He reminded himself under his breath with a solemn sigh, inaudible to those around him. The mantra brought a silent sorrow to his mind as he lifted the spoon to his mouth, pushing the bitter broth to the back of his throat to avoid its taste. Afterwards, he threw the bowl to the side of the fire, along with the other dirtied dishes, before making his way back to your shared tent - praying you’d return soon too.

##  **Javier**

The unforgiving rain paraded down around the wagon, splashing loudly against the boar skin canopy above you. Your eyes drifted to the muddied ground as it swilled around from the rains current, thanking God silently that you’d managed to find shelter from the harsh weather until it relented.

Your eyes drifted back to the man before you, his legs stretched out beside you as the soles of his boots rested firmly against the wooden walls of the wagon. Your own legs did the same, long dress resting down upon the curves of your legs as your feet reached beside him. The slight shadows from his dark finely shaped facial hair set against his brown lips, a lit cigarette perched beneath them as he listened to you speak.

 _“You’re thinking of the pyramids, Javi.”_ You giggled, drifting through the pages of your hardback ancient Egyptian history book. Your eyes delighted in the small glimpses of the cryptic hieroglyphs and puzzling wall paintings as each page flipped over; drifting in awe across the architectural masterpieces that monument the reigning of each pharaoh in all of their glory.

 _“So which ones the gato - the cat?”_ He questioned, correcting himself quick from his default Spanish - although you wished he wouldn’t, something about him speaking in Spanish made you feel comfortable, probably because he felt comfortable speaking it. Your head perked sideways at the question, clearly confused. _“You know, the man cat?”_ His brows furrowed in playful frustration and chuckle escaped your chest at his words before it hit you what he meant.

 _“You mean, the Sphinx?”_ You managed through your laughter as you flipped to a painting of the monument in your book. He nodded, his face reddening. _“Well…”_ you started, tracing the outline of where the structures nose should be. _“…it was built for Khafre, an old Egyptian Pharaoh in the 2000 BC’s…”_ Javier’s eyes softened as he watched you babble on about the statue. Truthfully, he didn’t care very much, just cherished hearing you talk to passionately about things you were interested in. After all this time of being your best friend, your knowledge still never seizes to amaze him.

He brought his fingers to the cigarette and inhaled before pulling it away. _“What happened to the nose?”_ He questioned, pointing at the missing outline.

The truth was, he had flipped through your book momentarily some weeks ago when he couldn’t get to sleep, also because he liked the thought of maybe one day impressing you with his knowledge. Therefore, knew a lot of these things already, just took quiet solace in hearing you speak so passionately.

He smiled as you explained, puffing contently on the lit tobacco as you carried on, the sound of the pattering rain complimenting your sweet voice. His eyes followed the flowing movements of your hands as you spoke, flailing them around as you told him to dramatic past of the ancient Egyptian peoples.

 _“Cleopatra was the last Pharaoh, probably the most well-known, too. Then came the Roman Empire.”_ You explained, closing the final chapters of the book together on your lap before placing it to your side. Your gaze wandered absent-mindedly out to the rain as the rest of your campmates huddled away in the other wagons and larger tents from the weather. A slight shiver racked through your body at the bitter cold and Javier responded quickly by lifting the poncho from around his neck before placing it gently around yours. The wool huddling lightly down against your shoulders and chest as you huddled into its warmth, and you sent a thankful smile his way.

His heart sank slightly as you quietened down, the unfamiliar silence taking over. His mind racks for a solution, anything to hear you speak again. _“Want some?”_ He questioned abruptly, offering the cigarette out to you. He internally scolded himself, knowing full well you don’t smoke, but it was the first thing he could think of.

You were torn from your thoughts, turning to meet his gaze before shaking your head politely at his question. _“You know me, Javi. I’m straight-edge. Boring.”_ You chuckled, whisking away strands of escaped hair from your eyes sheepishly at your confession.

His demeanour softened at your abrupt vulnerability. _“You’re not boring, ____. You’re one of the smartest people I know, querida.”_ The familiar pet name and sincerity brought a warmth to your already rosy cheeks. He threw the cigarette out into the rain, the ash melting into the muddy ground.

 _“I mean-I know irrelevant things, Javi. Not the things that really matter, like sex-or kissing-don’t know a thing about that.”_ Your voice cracked slightly on the last sentence; cheeks now practically tomato’s. Part of you wanted him to teach you, the other part wanted to cling onto your friendship, and you fought indecisively with both sides in your head.

 _“I think you’re amazing.”_ He mumbled. Javier shifted silently near you, adjusting himself to the thick tension in the air, bringing a palm down to what he thought would be the wagon floor but instead was your cotton clad thigh. He let out a rushed apology before quickly lifting his hand away, bringing it to his lap - such a gentleman.

Your own hand reached out to his, bringing it back on your lap, clutching his fingers as they intertwined with your own. _“Thank you, Javier.”_ You spoke softly. You watched his pouty lips as a flattered smile began to form at the corners. A moment of madness took hold of you and you leant forward, pressing your own lips to meet his softly and sweetly. You anxiously awaited a sign to stop, or for his lips to retrieve, but instead his tongue licked daintily against your lips, begging for entry. You obliged happily, bringing your own tongue to whirl against his passionately as you lifted yourself to straddle his thighs; moaning into each other’s lips as your centre came to press against his. The taste of tobacco and Pearson’s stew lingered on his breath at you fought with his tongue for attention.

He broke away suddenly, his arms caging around your hips to distance himself. His words came out breathless from his chest. _“Wa-was that your first kiss?”_ You nodded sheepishly at his question, dipping your head slightly to shadow the blush across your plush cheeks. _“Then-then we shouldn’t do this-not now at least.”_ His eyes sought your own to comfort you. _“Not because I don’t want to-trust me, I really do- this is all I’ve wanted to months now and it’s been driving me loco, but we should take it slow. I didn’t even know you felt the same way, but I’m really fuckin’ happy you do.”_

 _“Ok, Javi.”_ You say calmly, planting a sweet kiss against his before retreating from your position to sit beside him, head resting against his shoulder as you listened to the peaceful puttering and pattering of the raindrops. His arm wrapped your shoulder, clutching you closer than ever before, as if you’d run away given a moments notice.

 _“Hey.”_ He interrupted, reaching across you to retrieve the book once again, opening the last chapter. _“You didn’t tell me how Cleopatra died.”_ He chimed, nudging you to continue. He lit another cigarette with a match strike against the heel of his solid leather boot before bringing the tobacco stick to his swollen pink lips.

 _“Well, there was a Roman general named Marcus Antonius, and they were madly in love…”_ Javier listened to you babble on contently as he sucked away at his cigarette, body perched against yours. Everything he’d ever wanted was right here in front of him, just for him, not Charles or Arthur, and the rain became an afterthought.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr @i-love-charles!


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